he inventors of Kazaa and Skype have one more reason to cheer. Peer-to-peer network for television, Joost, has tied up with media behemoth Viacom Inc., owner of MTV Networks and Paramount Pictures. Under the agreement, the network plans to deliver free films and television shows through Joost. The terms of the agreement were, however, left undisclosed. Interestingly, the deal comes close on the heels of a demand by Viacom that YouTube remove 100,000 clips from its TV networks that had been posted without permission from the network. Viacom will provide Joost with shows from MTV, VH1 and BET Networks and films from Paramount.

Joost has, so far, also managed to sign up two big production companies - Warner Music and Endemol, which is based in the Netherlands and has branches all over the world. ... more